A Personal Post, and a Bit of Inspiration

This post is a personal one for me. Don't judge - it just makes me feel better to put it out there. ;)

Some of y'all might know I'm a *bit* stressedcrazynuts stressed about report cards, assessments, Profile Cards that do not align with my county's pacing guide, developmental expectations being thrown out the window as I prepare 7 year olds for standardized testing (complete with bubbling), and tracking out of my classroom for the first time in years. It's The Super Teacher Myth.

What isn't helping matters is my personal battle with depression. I have been battling this illness since being diagnosed when I was 15. Most days, I am fine, but during periods of high stress, it becomes unmanageable. That's when I rely heavily on the village of support I have around me: family, friends, coworkers, my amazing therapists, my kids' teachers, strangers, etc. We have more frozen meals, more cozy family time, and a messier house. I am learning to accept that it is acceptable to work at 70% instead of 110%, but this is difficult for me, as I really want to climb into bed and work at 0% occasionally.

During this school year, I have made a conscious effort to remember my blessings and try to bring kindness into my everyday interactions with others. This is difficult at times, as I have had interactions with other teachers where my personal battles became evident, and they have not been as understanding as I had hoped. Luckily, this is the exception and not the rule at my school. I am trying not to dwell on the things that make me stressed, but we all know that is easier said than done.

I'm not even sure why I'm sharing this with you, except that it feels a bit cathartic to put it out there that no one is perfect, and that everyone is fighting their personal battles, even if they present themselves as fine. Some days, we feel as though we aren't making much of a difference, but it's important to remember that what we do is important. Here's a much needed reminder:

Disclosure: This blog is written and edited by Jen Sykes. For questions about this blog, please email hellomrssykes at gmail dot com. This blog accepts product samples for review. All opinions, errors, and beliefs are mine. Views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers’ own. Affiliate links are used to help support this website. Thanks for being amazing today.

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